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Suns owner Mat Ishbia reportedly 'pushing hard' to hire former Warriors GM Bob Myers

After more than a decade as the decision maker in Golden State — and winning four rings — Bob Myers stepped out of an NBA front office and into the media with ESPN/ABC, where he has served as a studio and game analyst.

Now, Suns owner Mat Ishbia is "pushing hard" to bring him back into the front office and to take over as the head of basketball operations in Phoenix. That was first reported by Marc Stein and Jake Fischer at The Stein Line, and added to by Duane Rankin at the Arizona Republic. From Rankin:

Sources informed The Arizona Republic earlier this week the Suns will likely look to add someone to the front office. They currently have James Jones working a general manager and team president and CEO Josh Bartelstein. The two have collaborated with team owner Mat Ishbia on basketball personnel decisions, but sources also informed The Republic that Ishbia has been "pushing hard" to get Myers.

Stein has said landing Myers is a long shot, and for good reason. For one thing, Myers prefers to work in a collaborative setting, but with Jones, Bartelstein and a hands-on owner in Ishbia, there are already a lot of cooks in the kitchen. Myers would demand the hammer — final say on all personnel decisions — before he walked in the door, but how does that really work when Ishbia is in the decision-making mix and owns the team?

This past season, the Suns had the most expensive roster in the NBA, yet could not even qualify for the Play-In Tournament in the West.

Myers — or whoever gets the job — will oversee a massive roster overhaul, remaking it with Devin Booker as the centerpiece. Kevin Durant and the Suns will work together to find the future first-ballot Hall of Famer a new home, although the market for the 37-year-old (by next season) is not going to be as deep or bring back the haul that Phoenix expects. The Suns will attempt to trade the anchor of a contract (and still some solid production when healthy) belonging to Bradley Beal. Additionally, they must hire a new coach after firing Mike Budenholzer, the team's third coach in three seasons. Through all of that, the Suns need to find an on-court and organizational identity, while owner Ishbia has admitted to not being patient or wanting a rebuilding situation — he wants to win big and win now.

Myers will have his choice of front office jobs should he return to the NBA, is this the situation he wants to walk into.

Bucks GM Jon Horst — a Michigan native, like Ishbia — was mentioned as another name for the job, but no so coincidentally, it was reported Thursday Milwaukee has worked out an extension with Horst to remain head of their basketball operations.

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‘I was expecting to win’: Luca Brecel fights back to deny Ryan Day at Crucible

  • 2023 champion recovers from 5-1 down to win 10-7
  • Chris Wakelin leads Mark Allen 6-2 in second round

Luca Brecel completed an impressive comeback to beat Ryan Day 10-7 and avoid becoming the latest former champion to exit the World Snooker Championship at the first-round stage.

The 2023 winner looked in danger of joining the defending champion, Kyren Wilson, and Neil Robertson in crashing out when he was 5-1 down to Day during the first session. But Brecel won the final three frames on Wednesday to make it 5-4 and get himself right back in the match.

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Oilers Goalie Recall Options Are Not Great

Olivier Rodrigue (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)

EDMONTON – In the words of everyone’s favorite wise monkey, “it is time.”

Time for what, you ask? To talk about goalies, of course.

The Edmonton Oilers have many woes ailing them in their series against the Los Angeles Kings. One of them is their goaltenders' ability to make a timely save.

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. 

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The Argument For An Oilers Goalie Recall

To say that the Oilers have been getting subpar goaltending to begin the playoffs would be an understatement. But just how bad has it been?

According to NHL Edge data, Stuart Skinner has a .571 save percentage on high-danger shots – the league average is .784. Does this mean they need to have someone else in net?

Maybe.

The Oilers allowed four high-danger shot attempts in Game 2 and scored on two of them. In Game 1, the Kings had one high-danger shot attempt but didn’t score. Instead, they scored on two low-danger and four medium-danger opportunities.

Oilers Goalie Recall Options

If the Oilers want to bring along a third goalie to aid them in their quest to get through the first round of the 2025 playoffs, their options are limited.

Olivier Rodrigue

Olivier Rodrigue came up after Skinner was put on the shelf for a brief time. He was able to get some time in, for the most part, Calvin Pickard was relied on to be between the pipes. The likelihood that they would rely on Rodrigue in the playoffs, especially after not doing so in the regular season, is very low.

Colin Delia

Colin Delia didn’t get an emergency recall after Skinner was injured, which feels like a big enough reason why the Oilers wouldn’t consider bringing him up. Needless to say, his AHL numbers aren’t phenomenal, so it’s tough to rationalize that he would do any better than Pickard.

Connor Ungar

Because his entry level contract started earlier this season, Connor Ungar could be recalled by the Oilers. However, that road is also a dead-end. Ungar’s ECHL numbers are average, so it’s tough to make a case for him to be the guy getting the recall.

No other goalie can be recalled because of their contracts taking effect next year.

There will be no goalie coming in to save the Oilers. They’re just going to have to play better defense.

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Cousins says Warriors-Rockets refs are ‘letting too much go'

Cousins says Warriors-Rockets refs are ‘letting too much go' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Former NBA player DeMarcus Cousins believes the referees are letting too many calls go in the Warriors’ playoff series against the Houston Rockets.

The first-round Western Conference matchup has been bruising so far, but Cousins is not a fan of how the refs are calling things on the court.

“It is getting a point where I think the refs are letting too much go,” Cousins told Michelle Beadle and Chandler Parsons on FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back.” “As a fan and as a physical player myself, I enjoy this type of basketball. I think this is the foundation of basketball. It has always been a [part of the game]. I think in the past 10-15 years, we’ve kind of shied away from the physicality in basketball.

“That being said, there were some plays within the game that I thought the refs let go a little too much. There was one specific play where [Gary Payton II] tried to drive down the lane and went up for a dunk and completely got clipped. I think Steve [Kerr] called a timeout immediately after that. It was plays like that that stood out to me. You have to make those calls. Certain things you just can’t let go.”

Houston’s physical and swarming defense has been causing issues for Steph Curry and the rest of Golden State’s offense in two games of the best-of-seven series. For the most part, the refs have not been calling many fouls despite the Rockets contesting every shot around the rim.

With Jimmy Butler sidelined with a pelvic contusion, Golden State struggled to get in an offensive rhythm in Game 2 as Houston brutalized them. The NBA officiating crew appears content to let the two teams trade blows, harkening back to previous generations of professional basketball, when teams could hand-check with impunity.

Even a more favorably officiated game would do little for the Warriors if they cannot devise a successful offensive strategy against the Rockets.

With Butler’s status uncertain for Game 3, the Warriors must get more offensive production out of their bench players. If not, no amount of favorable officiating will stop Houston from pulling out another win.

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Knicks Playoffs Mailbag: Tom Thibodeau's adjustments pivotal; how can Karl-Anthony Towns step up?

As the Knicks face the Detroit Pistons in their first-round playoff series, SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley answers some of your most pressing questions surrounding the team.

So, here's an all-new, playoff edition Knicks Mailbag.

Think you’re glossing over an important thing; HOW did he answer the questions about adjustments and schemes? One of his biggest (legitimate) critiques is that the offense lacks creativity especially given the talent. Is there anything in his answers to note? - @ThirtySeventy12

This was in response to a tweet about one of head coach Tom Thibodeau’s answers in a post-practice news conference on Wednesday. I promise, @ThirtySeventy12, that I wouldn’t gloss over anything noteworthy that comes out of a press conference. Thibodeau, like almost all NBA coaches that I’ve been around, isn’t going to talk to the media about specific adjustments he plans to make ahead of a game. He doesn’t do it during the regular season and he certainly isn’t going to do it during the playoffs. 

If Thibodeau said something significant/concrete about adjustments, I certainly would have included it. I’ve been listening to Thibodeau’s answers in press conferences for almost five years -- he rarely gets into details when he’s asked about adjustments.

Based on the general reaction to that post on X, formerly known as Twitter, it seems like people read it as Thibodeau was not going to make adjustments ahead of Game 3 on Thursday. I can guarantee that there will be some between-game adjustments. Will they work? We’ll find out.

As we’ve noted over the past couple weeks, the stakes for Thibodeau are high in this series. So his between-game adjustments ahead of Game 3 are pivotal. 

Did they ask him about Karl-Anthony Towns’ second half involvement? Or about the pick and roll defense? What other questions did he answer Ian? - @AtlasPharaoh

Yup, he was asked about Towns’ shots, rebounding, and adjustments on Cade Cunningham. I don’t think he was asked specifically about pick and roll defense. The whole interview is on SNY’s YouTube page. 

Here’s Thibodeau on Towns’ shots: “Well I think part of it is, if they’re going to commit to two and three people on him, I don’t want him forcing shots. But there’s things that he can do also, and we can do, to get him a second and third look. So that’s what we have to try to do. And then I think there’s ways in transition that we can search him out as well.”

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) watches his three point shot go in during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) watches his three point shot go in during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. / Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Here’s Thibodeau on Tobias Harris defending Towns while Jalen Duren defends Josh Hart:

“We’ve seen that all year so it’s not anything new. Game 1 it was 123 points. So we have to take each game, each game is different; what do you learn from the game and then move it forward.”

A few other notes on potential adjustments: 

As OG Anunoby noted, the Pistons screened him off the ball more often in Game 2 in an effort to get Cunningham going. "They’re playing different actions," Anunoby said. Cunningham obviously had a big impact in Game 2. How will the Knicks counter this?

The Knicks had a season-low 15 assists in Game 2. As Newsday’s Steve Popper noted, the 15 assists matched the lowest they had in any game since January 2023. 

Here’s Anunoby’s answer when asked if the offense was too stagnant in Game 2: 

"It was a little stagnant but even in some of our best games, the ball gets stagnant sometimes. It’s just how the game goes sometimes, how it flows. We just try to correct that and figure out how to prevent it as much as possible."

Jalen Brunson and Hart both referenced some potential adjustments during their interviews with media after Thursday morning’s shootaround.

BALL MOVEMENT:

Brunson said he saw on film several individual and team-wide missed opportunities in Game 2: "There were a couple possessions where I had some bad shots and that’s on me just to understand the situation where I need to get off of it. But that’s on the offensive side of the ball. Defensively we need to be communicating a little better — me individually — and I’ve just gotta hold myself to a higher standard when it comes to that. I just need to be better."

Hart was asked about Brunson’s comment on moving the ball.

"That’s the toughest part is trying to find that balance. I think him coming in, maybe starting the game to try to get some of these guys involved, get them free flowing. You see it with LeBron (James) all the time,” Hart said. “One thing with LeBron, he comes in the first quarter, the second quarter, makes sure he gets his guys involved and gets them into rhythm and then he takes over when you need him to take over. So you can take bits and pieces from guys like that. It’s part of the reason sometimes when the 5 is on me, I can’t be that other ball handler that brings it up and gets him off the ball so maybe we’ll put Mikal (Bridges) in that role or something like that. So it’s a feeling out process but the good thing it’s all fixable things. 

REACTING TO REFS:

Both Brunson and Hart said they needed to complain less often to referees during game-play. “We’ve had a lack of focus when it comes to that. We’ve gotta let them do their job and we’ve gotta do ours,” Brunson said.

Apr 21, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Dennis Schroder (17) and New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) are separated by referees Ray Acosta (54) and Josh Tiven (58) during the fourth quarter of game two of the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Apr 21, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Dennis Schroder (17) and New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) are separated by referees Ray Acosta (54) and Josh Tiven (58) during the fourth quarter of game two of the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / © Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Added Hart: “(Complaining to refs during game-play) definitely takes you off your game. I think controlling that just comes from within, kind of focusing on controlling what you can control. We can’t control what they’re calling. We can’t control getting our first free throws with what, 17 seconds on the clock? We can’t control those kind of things. We can just control how we respond to it. Last game I responded terribly. I have to make sure I fix that, (Karl-Anthony Towns) fixes that, and move on from it.”

DETROIT'S DEFENSE ON HART/KAT:

Hart talked about the Knicks’ offensive approach when he is guarded by Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris is defended by Towns.

“I feel like I’ve been solid with it. I think at times we gotta make sure I remember, even with the flow of the offense, the role of the offense, I make sure at times I remember I’m also a guard, and I can play in those kinds of ways and not act like I’m a 6-8, 6-9 power forward. So just getting guys good shots, getting guys the ball, attacking, playing with pace and doing those kind of things.

“….So obviously you gotta try to figure that out, how they’re playing, attacking that, but also knowing that obviously I have the big on me. But also let’s not get away from KAT setting screens and getting himself open or getting other guys open. So, it’s just a balance, and I think that’s what you try to figure out the first couple games.”

What is the temperature of the team as we head into the playoffs? Feels like the vibes are erratic and the inconsistencies make it hard to gauge what to expect in the weeks ahead. Thanks! - @nilegirl (on March 24)

This question was from before the end of the regular season but it remains relevant, I think. I have thought for most of the season that this team doesn’t have the same tight connection that the 2023-24 team established. Even with that, it’s logical to assume that the Knicks will get through this Pistons series. The talent gap between the teams heavily favors New York. But playoff pressure is always a good stress test for a team’s cohesion. These next two games in Detroit will tell us something significant about the Knicks’ chemistry/connection. 

As the regular season draws to a close, do you have any insight into how the org views each of their 4 rookies? Who do they feel is most ready to be a rotation piece next year? Who will likely still be on a 2 way deal, or buried on the bench? - @jayb8418 (on March 24)

This is another one from the end of the regular season but it’s still relevant today. I can say that many in the organization are high on Ariel Hukporti. This is based on conversations with people in touch with the team over the course of the season. I think New York is optimistic about Hukporti’s future. Just to clarify: this doesn’t mean that they aren’t also high on Pacome Dadiet and Tyler Kolek. I would assume that they are. But I’m just relaying what I gathered from conversations over the course of the season on Hukporti. 

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Daria Kasatkina: ‘If I wanted to live a free, open life I couldn’t do it in Russia’

After opposing the war in Ukraine and coming out as gay, the 27-year-old made a ‘tough’ choice to change nationality

Over the past three years, Daria Kasatkina has slowly come to terms with a painful truth: the country she was born in, grew up in and represented to great success in the most prominent women’s sport steadfastly rejects her existence.

Four months after Kasatkina came out as gay in 2022, the Russian government enacted a slew of laws aimed at cracking down on and criminalising homosexuality. Last year, Russia began to convict individuals charged with displaying pro-LGBTQ+ imagery. While travelling the world for her profession, already competing under a neutral flag in the grim shadow of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the 27-year-old spent much of her time ruminating over whether it was time for her to depart.

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Rangers at Athletics prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for April 24

It's Thursday, April 24, and the Rangers (14-10) take on the Athletics (11-13). Jacob deGrom is slated to take the mound for Texas against J.T. Ginn for the Athletics.

The Athletics won yesterday's game against Rangers.

Kumar Rocker was on the mound for the Rangers. He only made it through 1.2 innings before giving up five runs on seven hits.

JP Sears picked up another win last night with a dominant performance. He went 5.0 innings and gave up just two earned runs.

Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

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Game details & how to watch Rangers at Athletics

  • Date: Thursday, April 24, 2025
  • Time: 10:05PM EST
  • Network/Streaming: NBCSCA, Rangers Sports Network, Victory+

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Rangers at the Athletics

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Rangers (-150), Athletics (+126)
  • Spread:  Rangers -1.5
  • Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Rangers at Athletics

  • Pitching matchup for April 24, 2025: Jacob deGrom vs. J.T. Ginn
    • Rangers: Jacob deGrom, (0-1, 3.32 ERA)
      Last outing (vs LA Dodgers, 4/18): 7.0 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts
    • Athletics: J.T. Ginn, (1-1, 3.60 ERA)
      Last outing (vs Milwakuee Brewers, 4/18): 4.2 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rangers at Athletics

  • The Athletics have lost 6 of 10 games this season following a win
  • The Over is 12-8 in the Rangers' last 10 games on the road and the Athletics' last 10 at home combined

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Rangers and the Athletics

Rotoworld Best Bet

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Rangers and the Athletics:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Texas Rangers on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Oakland Athletics at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 9.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

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Former Phillies slugger Ryan Howard makes pitch for Negro Leagues Baseball Museum expansion

PHILADELPHIA — Ryan Howard was a rookie with the Philadelphia Phillies just putting baseball on notice with his moonshot home runs when he met Buck O’Neil, a champion of Black ballplayers during a monumental, eight-decade career on and off the field.

Howard was introduced to O’Neil as a modern-day Josh Gibson, one of the Negro Leagues greatest players who hit .466 for the 1943 Homestead Grays. Howard, who hit at least 45 homers four times in his career, was too embarrassed to accept the comparison.

“Mr. O’Neil was like, “Do you got that power?′ I said, ‘Yes sir, I do,’” Howard said. “He told me, ‘Don’t be ashamed of it. Let it out.’ It was great, just hearing the stories from and just being in his presence.”

O’Neil, who died in 2006, long was a champion of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. Howard, who won an NL MVP and a World Series with the Phillies, is ready to take up O’Neil’s cause as the former slugger joined the push in helping the museum’s expansion project.

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is fundraising for a new 30,000-square-foot facility and campus, aimed at advancing the museum’s mission of preserving the rich history of Negro Leagues baseball and its impact on social progress in the United States.

Howard and San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt announced their plans to join the Negro Leagues’ “Pitch for the Future” in bringing greater awareness to the legacy of the Negro Leagues with a museum expansion.

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick said he hoped to raise $30 million to complete the project.

“It’s a tremendous indicator of the growth of his museum and the heightened interest in the subject matter that we’ve generated through the years and has dictated a need for us to grow in all phases of our operations,” Kendrick said. “This is a byproduct of growth.”

Interest in the Negro Leagues has spiked of late in large part because of its inclusion in MLB The Show and when records for more than 2,300 players were incorporated into Major League Baseball statistics. The museum that was founded in a tiny, one-room office space in 1990 that attracts about 70,000 visitors each year — plus major leaguers who stop by during road trips — has outgrown its space at 18th and Vine.

Kendrick said the current space “wasn’t designed to handle large crowds at any one time.”

“In a perfect world, Kansas City will host the World Cup next year,” Kendrick said, “and we would love to follow the energy and excitement of the World Cup with a grand opening of the Negro Leagues Museum in 2027. That might be a little bit ambitious, but it’s doable.”

Howard toured the museum long before he was one of the feared sluggers in the National League.

“It was my way of paying homage to the Negro Leagues and former Negro League players that didn’t get the opportunity to play in the big leagues,” Howard said.

Howard was always struck by the Field of Legends — 13 life-size statues of the first Negro Leaguers inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York — that deepened his understanding of the journey the players took to reach the Hall.

“I think that’s why it’s important to keep the story going, keep it alive,” Howard said. “You’ve got to understand the history of Black baseball and how it correlates with baseball, in general, and Major League Baseball.”

The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida found during its last published study that Black players represented just 6.2% of players on MLB opening day rosters in 2023, down from 7.2% in 2022. For the first time since 1950, shortly after Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball color barrier, there were no U.S.-born Black players on the Houston Astros or Philadelphia Phillies roster in the 2022 World Series.

Former New York Mets slugger Darryl Strawberry said MLB needed to focus on developing and marketing the game within the inner cities in order for the percentage of Black players to rise substantially.

Howard said connecting Black youth with baseball has long had its issues.

“It’s tough, trying to help figure things out,” Howard said. “I think there are now more young Black kids starting to get back into baseball. You have to be able to turn on the TV and see somebody that looks like you.”

Howard was raised in Missouri and noted Black former St. Cardinals stars such as Willie McGee, Vince Coleman and Terry Pendleton that helped ignite his interest in the sport. Howard and fellow NL MVP Jimmy Rollins were two Black stars and fan favorites with the Phillies when they won their last World Series in 2008.

Shildt was a frequent visitor of the museum when he managed the St. Louis Cardinals and remained hopeful expansion would provide the resources needed to educate a new generation of fans.

“There’s a bigger story to tell,” Shildt said. “What’s taken place has been more grassroots oriented. They’ve been able to put it together without the resources to tell the full, big-picture story.”

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Draymond Green finishes third in NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting

Draymond Green finishes third in NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green‘s bid for a second NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award came up short.

The Warriors forward finished third in DPOY voting, losing out to Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley, the NBA announced Thursday.

Atlanta Hawks wing Dyson Daniels finished in second place behind Mobley and Green.

Green, 35, received 15 first-place votes, 20 second-place votes and finished with 154 total points, coming up short to Mobley’s 285 points and Daniels’ 197 points.

Green made a strong push to reclaim the top defensive honor, capturing the Western Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month Award in March.

In 68 regular-season games, Green averaged 9.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks in 29.2 minutes.

Green openly campaigned for himself over the season’s final few months, and it almost paid off.

Green spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole and Kerith Burke in late March about what a second DPOY award would mean to him.

“It would mean the world to me; you know I pride myself on the defensive end,” Green told Poole and Burke. “I think to be acknowledged as the best defender in this league is no small feat. It’s something that, I never pride myself on winning awards, but they never hurt the ego and they don’t hurt the pockets. But most importantly, even more so than that, I think all the hard work you put in to try and stay at an elite level, and to be recognized as the Defensive Player of the Year at 35, eight years after first doing it, it takes a lot of work and a lot of effort to have that type of longevity.”

As unlikely as Green’s first DPOY was in 2016-17, he understood how much more profound winning it eight years later would have been.

“To even be mentioned in that conversation, to me, is special,” Green said. “Obviously, I want to win it, but it’s not something that’s totally in my control … When I started to see my name pop up in the conversation, I was like, ‘Wow, I really have a chance to do this.’

“And I came into this season, for the last couple years I’ve been kind of priding myself on that. Like, ‘I want to win another one. I want to win another one.’ But obviously you have to have success as a team and just to find that success, put myself in the conversation. At worst, I want to make [All-Defensive First Team] and if I can put myself in the conversation to be DPOY, I think that would be crazier than winning the first one.”

Warriors coach Steve Kerr, on numerous occasions, has called Green the best defensive player he has ever been around, but the four-time NBA champion still has just one Defensive Player of the Year Award on his resume.

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Cavaliers vs. Heat Predictions: Odds, expert picks, recent stats, trends and best bets for April 26

It’s Saturday, April 26, and the Cleveland Cavaliers (64-18) and Miami Heat (37-45) are all set to square off from Kaseya Center in Miami.

Cleveland won Game 2 at home, 121-113, after a 21-point blowout win over Miami in Game 1. The series goes back to Miami for Game 3 in an attempt to slow down Donovan Mitchell who scored 30 points in both games. Tyler Herro led Game 2 with 33 points and will be relied on heavily to avoid a sweep.

The Cavaliers are currently 30-11 on the road with a point differential of 10, while the Heat have a 4-6 record in their last ten games at home. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

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Game details & how to watch Cavaliers vs. Heat live today

  • Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025
  • Time: 1:00PM EST
  • Site: Kaseya Center
  • City: Miami, FL
  • Network/Streaming: TNT

Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.

Game odds for Cavaliers vs. Heat

The latest odds as of Saturday:

  • Odds: Cavaliers (-246), Heat (+200)
  • Spread:  Cavaliers -6.5
  • Over/Under: 214 points

That gives the Cavaliers an implied team point total of 109.31, and the Heat 105.92.

Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!

Expert picks & predictions for Saturday’s Cavaliers vs. Heat game

Rotoworld Best Bet

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes the Cavaliers 1Q Team Total Under 27.5:

"Last season, Cleveland went 1-5 on the road in the playoffs and cracked 100 points once in those contests (the only win). While they have been a tank in the regular season this year, there is still no telling if they will look like the same Cavaliers in the first road playoff game this time around.

The Cavaliers scored 21, 23, and 25 points in the first round at Orlando last year and 28 or more in three at Boston. With Miami's tempo and style of play, I like this to be a low-scoring first quarter, so I'll fade the Cavaliers First Quarter Team Total and take the Under 27.5."

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Cavaliers & Heat game:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Cleveland Cavaliers on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Miami Heat at +6.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 214.

Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!

Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Cavaliers vs. Heat on Saturday

  • The Cavaliers have won 4 of their last 5 matchups against Eastern Conference Southeast Division teams
  • The Cavaliers' last 3 matchups against Eastern Conference teams have gone over the Total
  • The Heat are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games as a home underdog
  • The Heat have covered in their last 4 games as a home underdog

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

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Devils Call Up Several Players Ahead Of Game 3

Colton White (© James Guillory-Imagn Images)

The New Jersey Devils have announced that they have recalled Brian Halonen, Mike Hardman, Nathan Legare, Marc McLaughlin, Topias Vilen, Colton White, and Isaac Poulter from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Utica Comets.

Halonen, 26, played in 62 games this season with the Comets, where he had 27 goals, 40 points, and a plus-9 rating. He also played in two games this campaign with the Devils, posting zero points and a minus-1 rating.

Hardman, 26, had one assist in two regular-season games with the Devils this campaign. Down in the AHL with Utica, he had 18 goals, 35 points, and a plus-11 rating.

Legare, 24, played in his first three career NHL games this campaign with the Devils, where he was held off the scoresheet. In 69 games with Utica, he had 17 goals, 25 points, and 102 penalty minutes.

McLaughlin, 25, played in 50 AHL games this season split between the Providence Bruins and Comets, where he had five goals and 20 points. He also had two goals and an assist in 14 NHL games with the Bruins and Devils this year.

Vilen, 22, spent all of this season with the Comets, where he had one goal, 24 points, and a plus-2 rating in 58 contests. The Devils selected the 6-foot-1 defenseman with the 129th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

White, 27, appeared in 61 games this season with the Comets, where he had four goals, 17 assists, 21 points, and a plus-1 rating. This was after he had eight points in 53 games last season with the San Diego Gulls.

Poulter, 23, had a 16-13-6 record, a .898 save percentage, a 2.86 goals-against average, and one shutout in 36 games for the Comets this season.

Recent Devils News 

3 New Jersey Devils Who Must Shine In Game 3 3 New Jersey Devils Who Must Shine In Game 3 The New Jersey Devils are set to play a crucial Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes on April 25. After losing each of their first two games of the series, the  Devils desperately need a win to keep their hopes alive. Going down 3-0 would be brutal for New Jersey. Devils Need To Give Jacob Markstrom More OffenseDevils Need To Give Jacob Markstrom More OffenseThe start of the New Jersey Devils' first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes has been the exact opposite of what the team had hoped for. The Devils have lost each of their first two games of the series and are now just two more losses away from being knocked out of the first round. New Jersey Devils Facing Must-Win Game 3New Jersey Devils Facing Must-Win Game 3After losing Game 1 to the Carolina Hurricanes by a 4-1 final score, the New Jersey Devils looked to bounce back on April 22 for Game 2. Unfortunately, they did not get the result they had hoped for, as they fell to the Hurricanes by a 3-1 final score. With this, the Devils are now heading back to New Jersey, being down 2-0 in the series. Former Devils Goalie Has Big Game For New TeamFormer Devils Goalie Has Big Game For New TeamEarlier this season, former New Jersey Devils goalie Mackenzie Blackwood was traded to the Colorado Avalanche by the San Jose Sharks. The move was understandable, as the Avalanche desperately needed help between the pipes, while the Sharks were willing to move Blackwood because of his then-pending unrestricted free agent status. 
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Emotional Slafkovsky Spoke To The Press

Juraj Slafkovsky - Photo Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

If there’s one thing that has held about Juraj Slafkovsky since the start of his career, it’s that he’s always his harshest critic. On Wednesday night, it was still the case after the Montreal Canadiens dropped game two of their first-round series against the Washington Capitals 3-1.

It was a visibly emotional Slafkovsky who spoke to the media, providing a tough assessment not only of himself, but of the whole team:

Everyone here has to be better, starting with me and then everyone else. We’ve got to show a different kind of energy and a different kind of game on Friday at home.
- Juraj Slafkovsky on the need to be better

The Capitals play a tough physical game, but it’s not beyond what the 21-year-old power forward expected. After the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, the former first overall pick said he needed to play a more physical game to succeed in the NHL and would like to bring the kind of game Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk brings, and at times, he has done it. Still, he has yet to find that kind of game consistently, and he knows it:

I just got to play more physical myself, got to be better.
- Slafkovsky on the need to be more physical

In game two, the big Slovak landed three hits and sent seven shots to the net, although only five made it there. Still, he committed giveaways attributed to a lack of concentration or execution. The no-look back passes can fly in exhibition games or scrimmages, but they have no place in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and he’s learning it the hard way.

Asked if the fact that they knew they didn’t play their best the whole way through was something the Canadiens could build on, Slafkovsky indicated that it was often the case:

You know, there’s always something lacking. We always talk about, "Oh, today was this, tomorrow it’s something else." We have to have an almost perfect game to win.
-

Visibly, the youngster had had enough of the team’s and his own uneven effort. The Canadiens showed a knack for coming from behind in the third period this season, but only providing your best effort in the last frame will rarely be enough come playoff time. Coach Martin St-Louis will preach to the converted the next time he tells his players they must play better earlier.

The Canadiens slept in Washington last night and will fly back to Montreal this morning. There will be a media availability early, before the flight, but no practice is scheduled. This isn’t surprising as St-Louis appreciates the value of a rest day, but when the Canadiens hit the ice for morning skate on Friday, the bench boss will have some adjustments to make.

Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.  

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Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. 

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Celtics vs. Magic Predictions: Odds, expert picks, recent stats, trends and best bets for April 25

On Friday, April 25, the Boston Celtics (61-21) and Orlando Magic (41-41) are all set to square off from Kia Center in Orlando for Game 3 of the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

Jayson Tatum missed Game 2 (questionable for Game 3), but that was no issue for the Celtics who came away with the 109-100 win. Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 36 points and double-doubled with 10 rebounds, while Paolo Banchero (32) and Franz Wagner (25) combined for 57 of Orlando's 100 points. The series goes back to Orlando as the Magic look to climb out of a 0-2 hole.

The Celtics are currently 33-8 on the road with a point differential of 9, while the Magic have a 4-6 record in their last ten games at home. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.

Game details & how to watch Celtics vs. Magic live

  • Date: Friday, April 25, 2025
  • Time: 3:00 PM EST
  • Site: Kia Center
  • City: Orlando, FL
  • Network/Streaming: ESPN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.

Game odds for Celtics vs. Magic

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Odds: Celtics (-219), Magic (+182)
  • Spread:  Celtics -5.5
  • Over/Under: 198 points

That gives the Celtics an implied team point total of 102.89, and the Magic 96.02.

Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!

Expert picks & predictions for Friday’s Celtics vs. Magic game

Rotoworld Best Bet

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes Paolo Banchero to go Over 26.5 Points:

"I think the Banchero train is worth riding one more game. Banchero has the free reign to shoot whenever and after 52 field goal attempts, 13 three-pointers, and 17 free-throw attempts through two games. He's scored 32 and 36 points over both matchups in Boston and been active on the boards with 11 and 9 rebounds. He's the only Orlando player shooting with confidence from three and he's arguably the best on the floor at creating contact, so give me Banchero Over 26.5 Points up to 27.5."

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Celtics & Magic game:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Boston Celtics on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Orlando Magic at +5.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 198.

Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!

Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Celtics vs. Magic on Friday

  • The Magic have won 3 straight home games
  • Each of the Celtics' last 4 road games with the Magic have stayed under the Total
  • The Magic are 23-19 ATS at home this season
  • The Magic have covered the Spread in their last 5 home matchups with the Celtics

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

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England’s Josh Hull fired up by Lions beasting and ‘gold dust’ of Anderson

Leicestershire left-armer reflects on ‘surreal’ Test debut last year, fitness work and Anderson’s advice in the nets

Josh Hull returns for Leicestershire this week, his first outing since that fast-tracked Test debut against Sri Lanka last summer. A winter “beasting” by the England Lions fitness coaches has the giant left-armer feeling stronger, with a more robust base from which to attack a potentially huge year of cricket.

Through no fault of his own, Hull was seen as the embodiment of Bazball braggadocio at the end of last season when thrown into Test cricket after just 10 first-class games as England blew their shot at a perfect summer. It was no disgrace – first-innings figures of three for 53 – but ended with a quad strain that underlined the physicality required.

Continue reading...
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Charlotte Hornets 2024-25 fantasy basketball season recap: Injuries plague Hornets once again

While the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, now is a good time to recap the fantasy basketball season for all 30 teams.

In the following weeks, we will provide a recap for each team, starting with the team with the worst record and concluding with the NBA champion in June.

Previous Team Recaps: Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards

The Charlotte Hornets are coming off yet another injury-riddled season that resulted in another trip to the lottery and a lot of questions about where to go from here.

NBA: Playoffs-Los Angeles Clippers at Denver Nuggets
Fantasy Basketball Top 250: Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama atop 2024-2025 season wrap-up rankings
A look at the fantasy basketball landscape after the 2024-2025 NBA regular season.

Charlotte Hornets 2024-25 Season Recap

Record: 19-63 (14th, East)

Offensive Rating: 106.7 (29th)

Defensive Rating: 115.7 (24th)

Net Rating: -19.1 (27th)

Pace: 98.22 (23rd)

2024 Draft Picks: 14 percent chance of winning lottery, 33, 34

For the third straight season, the Hornets ended up back in the lottery. Injuries derailed their year once again, with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Mark Williams all playing less than 50 games. In fact, only Moussa Diabate, Josh Green and Seth Curry met the league’s 65-game threshold for postseason awards. Of course, none of them were up for any, but the entire team was decimated by various injuries. That resulted in just 19 wins, which was their worst season since 2011-12, the infamous 7-59 Bobcats.

This was the first season for head coach Charles Lee, and he wasn’t dealt a fair hand with all the injuries. Still, the makings of a competitive team are there. Ball, Miller, Williams and Miles Bridges are a strong core four, and they’ll add another top pick from a loaded class. They have other solid pieces throughout the roster, but they simply need to be more available from top to bottom if they want to return to the postseason. They last made the play-in tournament during the 2021-22 season, but the last time they made the playoffs was during the 2015-16 season.

Fantasy Standout: SF/PF Miles Bridges

There weren’t many positives in Charlotte this season, but Bridges was both consistently productive and available. Across his 64 appearances, Bridges averaged 20.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.2 threes per game while shooting a subpar 43.1 percent from the floor. The rebounds and assists were career-highs despite his minutes dropping from 37.4 per game during the 2023-24 season to 31.7 per game this past season.

Bridges was the only rosterable player on this team that was available to play in 50 games. The bar wasn’t high for him to be the most impactful fantasy player on this team, and he could’ve been even better if he played as much as he did during the previous season. This was the first season of a three-year, $75 million contract for Bridges, so he’ll continue to be a consistent producer for the Hornets for at least two more seasons. He’s past the point of his career where he’s making drastic improvements, and if they have better injury luck next season, Bridges could see a dip in production.

Fantasy Revelation: C Mark Williams

After missing a full calendar year of games, Williams returned to the lineup in December. He suited up 44 times, which was a new career high for him, and he averaged 15.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks per game, which were also career-highs, despite not seeing an increase in minutes.

Charlotte agreed to a trade that sent Williams to the Lakers shortly after they acquired Luka Doncic, but the deal was rescinded after Williams failed his physical. It was a strange situation, but Williams returned to the lineup after that and was able to play at a high level. He has battled through so many injuries through his first three seasons in the league and has been limited to 106 career games. He missed a handful of games sporadically, but the only time he missed more than two in a row (after he missed the first month of the season) was following the failed trade. Williams will entire the offseason healthy, and if he can have a relatively healthy 2025-26 campaign, he should be in for another big season.

Fantasy Disappointment: SG/SF/PF Brandon Miller

With the amount of games everyone the team missed, it’s hard to single out the most disappointing. However, since other players on the team have the “injury-prone” title already, and Miller’s 27 were fewer than the other standard-league players on the team. His field goal percentage also dropped from 44 percent as a rookie to 40.3 percent this past season. He averaged 21 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.9 threes in 34.2 minutes per game.

The insane three-point rate was a fun improvement and a partial explanation for the drop in field goal percentage.The other explanation is that his mid-range shot regressed. After shooting 47.9 percent from the mid-range as a rookie, he made just 30.2 percent of his mid-range shots this past season. The volume was lower, but it was a disappointing development. Miller should bounce back in year three, but a few minor regressions and an early injury derailed his second season after a strong rookie year.

Fantasy Recaps/Look-Aheads 

PG/SG LaMelo Ball: 

The good news: Ball set a new career high for points per game and played more games than he did each of the last two seasons. The bad news: he only played 47 games and posted the worst field goal percentage of his career. Ball averaged 25.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.8 triples in 32 minutes per game.

Aside from points and threes, Ball’s numbers all took a slight hit this past season. Nothing dropped alarmingly, and he played more than twice as many games this season. LaMelo will continue to go early in drafts because of how talented he is but playing 105 games in three seasons is a poor mark. All will be forgiven if he can have a healthy 2025-26 campaign, but it’s difficult to bank on that happening. Still, he is productive enough when he is on the floor to be worth the risk.

PF/C Grant Williams:

Williams’ 2024-25 campaign was cut short after he tore his ACL in November. Prior to that, Williams averaged 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.7 threes per game. He made seven starts, but when this team is fully healthy next season, Williams will likely play a reserve role. He is an excellent rotation piece and will provide them with depth down low. However, his fantasy contributions will be limited to when there are injuries in front of him.

C Jusuf Nurkic:

Nurkic opened the season as the Suns starting center, but a few weeks in, it became apparent that wouldn’t last. After some drama with head coach Mike Budenholzer and being dropped from the rotation, Nurkic was dealt to Charlotte at the trade deadline. In 26 games with the Hornets, Nurkic averaged 9.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in just 18.1 minutes per game.

He should enter next season as a decent backup center behind Mark Williams in the final year of his contract. He's still capable of contributing decent fantasy value when he gets the minutes, but last season didn't do his reputation any favors, and it is difficult to imagine any team giving him a starting center job. Still, if he is able to step into a larger role, he can provide well-rounded counting stats for a center.

PG/SG Tre Mann:

It was an excellent start to the year for Mann, and after the first few games, it seemed like he was going to have a case for either Most Improved or Sixth Man of the Year. However, a back issue kept him sidelined after mid-November. Of course, Charlotte didn’t provide much clarity to the severity of his injury, so it was never clear that Mann would be sidelined for the remainder of the year.

During his 13 appearances, Mann averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, three assists and 1.8 triples in 24.5 minutes per game. He should have some suitors in restricted free agency this summer, but if he is back with Charlotte, he should play a significant reserve role and supply plenty of offense. He didn’t get many steals this season, but he averaged 1.2 the year before. Steals tend to be a volatile stat, and it could certainly leap back up next season.

SG/SF Josh Green:

After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Mavericks, Green got a fresh start with the Hornets this season. In his first year with his new team, Green averaged 7.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.4 threes in 27.8 minutes per game. He has never been a great player for fantasy hoops, but Green is a young, impactful defender on the wing. That means he’ll play significant minutes, even if he isn’t doing much for fantasy managers. He hasn’t finished inside the top 200 in nine-cat formats through the first five seasons of his career.

C Moussa Diabate:

Diabate signed a two-way deal with Charlotte last summer after playing on two-way contracts with the Clippers over the two previous seasons. Due to injuries to Mark Williams and Nick Richards early on, Diabate took on a larger role than expected and took advantage, which resulted in him earning a full contract that will keep him with the Hornets until 2027.

Diabate averaged 5.7 points and 6.2 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game, but he was much better when he played a larger role. In eight starts last season, he averaged 7.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and one steal per game. He also led the team with 71 games played. Diabate has the potential to be a dominant rebounder, but his outlook for next season is murky with Williams and Jusuf Nurkic ahead of him.

PG/SG Nick Smith Jr.:

Smith Jr. started off his second season playing a small role, but he saw that expand as the season went on, largely due to the Brandon Miller wrist injury. He played 22.8 minutes per game this season and averaged 9.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 threes per game. The former five-star prospect has shown some fun flashes through his first two seasons in the league, but he likely won’t be more than a depth scorer for Charlotte once again next season. The clearest path for fantasy production for him is more injuries to plays ahead of him on the depth chart.

PF Tidjane Salaun:

The No. 6 overall pick last summer didn’t turn 19 until after Summer League and was drafted for his upside. He was considered to be a raw prospect, and that was exactly how he looked. He appeared in 60 games and averaged 5.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and one triple in 20.7 minutes per game.

More notably, he shot an abysmal 33 percent from the floor. Per Stathead, there have been nine players drafted in the top ten that have played at least 20 minutes per game as a rookie and averaged fewer than six points per game. The only one that shot worse from the floor than Salaun was fellow rookie Cody Williams

Restricted Free Agents: Tre Mann, Wendell Moore Jr.

Unrestricted Free Agents: Seth Curry, Taj Gibson